1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving apparatus, an electro-mechanical conversion element which is used in the driving apparatus, a photographic apparatus such as a small digital camera and a web camera in which an optical member is connected to the driving apparatus and a mobile phone having installed thereon the driving apparatus, the electro-mechanical conversion element or the photographic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
The industry's attention is focused on a driving apparatus which utilizes an electro-mechanical conversion element as a driving apparatus for a lens of, for example, a digital camera or a mobile phone with a camera. As such a driving apparatus, there is known a driving apparatus in which a driving member is fixed to an one end of an electro-mechanical conversion element in a direction of extension and contraction thereof, the driving member is supported on a fixed member (a stationary member) in such a manner as to travel in an axial direction, and furthermore, the other end of the electro-mechanical conversion element in the extension and contraction direction thereof is fixed to the fixed member, whereby a drive voltage of a proper waveform is impressed to the electro-mechanical conversion element so as to cause the electro-mechanical conversion element to extract and contract, and a traveling member which is frictionally engaged with the driving member is caused to travel in the direction of extension and contraction of the electro-mechanical conversion element (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3141714).
In the driving apparatus, however, there was a problem that various connecting portions including a connecting portion between the electro-mechanical conversion element and the driving member easily fail in case an impact force is applied to the driving apparatus as a result of, for example, fall thereof.